Mumbai Police on Friday said that it will launch a special `Operation Shodh 2` from November 1 and will run the search campaign till November 15, 2025 to trace missing and kidnapped children.

The campaign will focus on tracing the minor children across the city aged below 18-year-old, police said.

According to an official statement, the operation aims to locate as many missing children as possible through coordinated efforts at every police station level.

Citizens and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working for child welfare have been urged to assist the police in making the campaign a success.

The police have appealed to Mumbai residents to immediately report any suspicious child found in their area by calling the police control room at 100 or Childline at 1098, or by visiting the nearest police station.

“During the campaign period, police teams will focus on railway stations, bus stops, religious places, hospitals, hotels, shops, and streets where children are seen begging or collecting waste. Anyone spotting such children is requested to contact the authorities immediately,” said an official.

Citizens are also encouraged to report cases where children are found working in homes or commercial establishments or appear to be living away from their parents or guardians under suspicious circumstances.

The police said that the people can also visit the Mission Vatsalya website (https://missionvatsalya.wcd.gov.in) and upload photos of suspected missing children on the Khoya-Paaya portal.

The Mumbai Police have appealed to the public to cooperate fully, as their help could play a vital role in reuniting missing children with their families.

Mumbai Police had earlier conducted a similar campaign.

In July, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had informed the Maharashtra Legislative Council that under Operation Shodh, 4,960 missing women and 1,364 children were traced between April and May this year. 

He had stated that Operation Muskan and Operation Shodh have been launched to search for missing children, women and girls in the state.

In a similar operation in adjoining Navi Mumbai, the police had in May this year said that under the special initiative `Operation Shodh`, a total of 330 missing persons were successfully located. These included 213 women, 95 men, 10 abducted boys, and 12 abducted girls who had remained untraceable over the past year.

Source